Harold II of England. Earl Harold is recorded as building another fortress in the county at Longtown Castle. The castle would appear to have been refortified during The Anarchy of the reign of King Stephen. Before 1148 the fortress was held by Waleran de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Worcester. The castle appears to have changed hands again in 1151 and 1153 when attacked by royalists. At this time it was defended by the men of Earl Waleran's brother, Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester. The castle was finally destroyed by King Henry II in 1155 and mentioned in passing by William Langland before 1386. The Shire Ditch The Shire Ditch, or Red Earl's Dyke, runs north and south of British Camp along the ridge of the hills. It was created in 1287 by Gilbert de Clare, the Earl of Gloucester, following a boundary dispute with Thomas de Cantilupe, the Bishop of Hereford. Recent research has shown that the Shire Ditch might actually be much older. Indeed, there is some evidence that it may have started life as a prehistoric trackway running from Midsummer Hill fort to the Worcestershire Beacon, the highest hill in the range over three miles to the north of the Camp. Folklore A popular legend tells that Caratacus, a British tribal chieftain, fought his last battle against the Romans at British Camp and goes on to say that after his capture he was taken to Rome where he was given a villa and a pension by Emperor Claudius. However, the description by Tacitus, the Roman historian makes this unlikely: Although the River Severn is visible from British Camp, it is about from it, so this battle must have taken place elsewhere. A number of locations have been suggested, including sites near Brampton Bryan, an important Roman site, or Church Stretton which also has an Iron Age fort on Caer Caradoc Hill. References Notes Bibliography Further reading Children, G; Nash, G (1994) Prehistoric Sites of Herefordshire Logaston Press External links British Camp at PastScape British Camp Monument Detail Malvern Hills English Heritage Image of British Camp Britain's Best View: The Malvern Hills Hill forts in Herefordshire Hill forts in Worcestershire History of Worcestershire Tourist attractions in Worcestershire History of Herefordshire Tourist attractions in Herefordshire Malvern Hills